The invention is a grapple removably attachable to a vehicle which has implement fittings to which civil engineering implements are removably attachable, the grapple having a low walled, forwardly converging lifting bed.
Workers needing to move, lift, and carry oddly shaped objects--such as a bolder--in existing civil engineering implements which can be attached to a vehicle have a long outstanding problem. The existing implements have dimensions and configurations which do not match the dimensions and forms of oddly shaped objects. Thus it is difficult to precisely move an oddly shaped object without disturbing adjacent objects, it is difficult to lift an oddly shaped object without disturbing adjacent objects, and oddly shaped objects can move around in the implement when being carried. The invention shown here is based on the discovery that a grapple with a low walled, forwardly converging lifting bed solves this long outstanding problem.
Various grapple configurations are shown in prior art, for example by Ogawa in U.S. Pat. No. 4,283,866, by Jankowski in U.S. Pat. No. 4,285,628, by Labounty in U.S. Pat. No. 4,907,356, by Towensend in U.S. Pat. No. 5,553,408, by Kaczmarczyk in U.S. Pat. No. 5,639,205, and by Hawkins in U.S. Pat. No. 5,678,332. None of these are adapted to move, lift, and carry oddly shaped objects with precision. The precision grapple shown here is not suggested in any prior art or any combinations of prior art.